The only interest capital has in research projects is the profit they can generate. Once a research project poses risks far greater than its potential profits, capital will not hesitate to ax the project.
Given the current situation, if Tao Ge remains "stubborn," the Bai Group won’t mind axing Tao Ge along with the project.
In the physical sense of "axe."
Tao Ge sat down with a face filled with despair.
"Tao Ge, we’ve known each other for years. Here’s a piece of advice," Meng Yunfeng’s tone softened slightly. "What you need to do now is not uncover the truth behind G09’s loss of control, but find a reason that the board, the City Defense Army, and Dubhe Tower can all accept. You’re a talent, as long as you know your boundaries, the Group will naturally find a way to keep you. As for G09, it’s not worth devoting all your efforts to it... Once G09 is gone, you can continue to research G10, G11, no one will stop you! Even if you have to make one up, give me a reason. Do you understand?"
"I... I understand..." Tao Ge nodded.
Standing to the side, Lee suddenly felt that Tao Ge’s tone seemed to have aged by a dozen years in an instant.
"You have the last eight hours, after which you must present a proposal that satisfies the board," Meng Yunfeng said.
"Uh..." Tao Ge slowly raised his head again, "What about... number 116? How is his condition?"
"It’s just flesh wounds, no life danger," Meng Yunfeng said. "He’s currently staying in the corporation’s internal hospital. In fact, with his state, he can be discharged at any time, but before this matter ferments, we’ll find a way to keep him in the ward... This is also why the board is pressing you for an explanation. Do you understand now?"
"After this matter is resolved, can I go see him?" Tao Ge asked.
"What, you want to apologize in person? This matter will be handled by Miss Bai, as the head of the hunting group and the future heir of the Bai Group, she is more suitable to handle this than you," Meng Yunfeng said. "At this critical juncture, you’d best not appear in the public eye."
"No, I want to talk to him privately," Tao Ge said. "I want to invite him in a personal capacity to participate in research projects..."
"You still haven’t given up?" Meng Yunfeng’s eyes widened, his voice suddenly escalated a few notes, "Tao Ge, are you tired of living?"
"What I mean is, openly, I’ll find a way to give a reason everyone can accept... but the issue between G09 and number 116 truly exists. To solve this problem, I need the cooperation of number 116... I suppose he must be in need of money, otherwise, he wouldn’t have traveled such a long way to join the hunting expedition, or joined our hunting group. We believe that as long as we provide enough compensation, he would agree to cooperate... After all, participating in the hunting expedition also carries life-threatening risks," Tao Ge said.
"You don’t have to worry about that anymore, the G09 project is definitely going to be axed," Meng Yunfeng said. "As for those defects and issues, let them sink to the bottom of the sea."
"Does the board really want to completely abandon this project? Don’t they understand the potential this project holds in the future? Even if the reliability of G09 is questioned, we can rename it... Didn’t you just say I could research G10, G11 in the future... All of these must be built on the existing foundation of G09, so this problem will definitely be faced. What I have to do is not evading or ignoring, this is equivalent to burying a time bomb..."
"Alright, stop it now," Meng Yunfeng stepped forward, placing a firm hand on Tao Ge’s shoulder, pressing down the rising Tao Ge back into the seat, "Since you know there’s a time bomb, what you need to do is completely give up this project. There will be future research projects, but not based on G09... If you want to continue working for the Group, then abandon everything of the past and start from scratch... I’ll say it again, you are a talent, you shouldn’t waste your life and talent on a project that’s already doomed."
"Start from scratch... Hahaha." Tao Ge suddenly laughed, "Do you know how low the probability of successfully developing G09 was? Such a low-probability event, many people might never encounter even once in a lifetime, and now I’m told to start from scratch... Hahaha..."
"If you continue pursuing something you might encounter only once in a lifetime, I’m afraid your lifetime will be ending soon," Meng Yunfeng’s tone took on a slight threatening note. "Alright, I’ve said enough, I should be going. Oh, and one more reminder, before you meet with the board members tonight, take a good bath, the smell on you right now is really too strong."
Meng Yunfeng left, leaving only Tao Ge and assistant Lee in the lab once again.
Lee looked at Tao Ge worriedly and asked tentatively, "Mr. Tao... Are you, are you alright?"
"I’m fine." Tao Ge leaned back against the chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Then, the fifteenth experiment..."
"No need to do it." Tao Ge sighed, "It’s all over, everything is finished..."
"Mr. Tao... would you like something to drink?" Lee lowered his voice, "How about I get you a glass of water? Or, make a cup of coffee?"
"No food allowed in the lab." Tao Ge said blandly, ignoring his prior chocolate binge; he stood up, took off his lab coat stained with various substances, balled it up, and tossed it into the trash bin. "I’ll go home and take a bath first. What would you like to eat tonight, my treat."
"Ah?" Lee was momentarily stunned, "No need for you to treat, Mr. Tao, I’ll just go to the cafeteria..."
"It’s fine, everyone’s worked hard the past few days, get those who stayed overtime with me last night, we’ll find a nice place... Though I regret it a bit, this project is ending like this, time for everyone to unwind." Tao Ge said.
"Okay.. okay, I’ll contact them right away." Lee nodded.
...
...
Inside the Bai Group’s internal hospital.
Private ward number 001.
Wrapped in bandages all over, Cheng Ming sat on the hospital bed, while a sweet-looking nurse with a curvaceous figure helped him peel fruit, and another nurse with a completely different mature style carefully cleaned a wound on Cheng Ming’s arm.
It was hard to tell if it was intentional or not, but Cheng Ming could distinctly feel his arm being occasionally pressured by something soft.
Is this what they call a sugar-coated bullet?
Or is it that the Bai Group is worried I might let something slip, so they’ve decided to ward me off using this method?
Cheng Ming glanced at the security personnel at the door, unsure whether this guard was there to protect him or to keep an eye on him to prevent any escape.
What surprised Cheng Ming was that his phone hadn’t been confiscated, nor had there been any direct constraint on his personal freedom.
The doctor told him this morning that he could be discharged anytime, but they suggested he stay another week for observation.
The poker-faced young girl also came to see Cheng Ming; not only did she apologize, but she also offered extremely favorable compensation terms—Cheng Ming only found out today that the poker-faced girl turned out to be the Patriarch’s woman, the future heir of the Bai Family, and also the leader of this hunting group.
The doctor told him this morning that he could be discharged anytime, but they suggested he stay another week for observation.
The poker-faced young girl also came to see Cheng Ming; not only did she apologize, but she also offered extremely favorable compensation terms—Cheng Ming only found out today that the poker-faced girl turned out to be the Patriarch’s woman, the future heir of the Bai Family, and also the leader of this